Global design available online

Absolutely no excuses now!  Many years ago, you had to hop into a plane and travel the world to widen your perspective on design possibilities. Today, cyberspace provides a new mode of transport: your computer or iPad monitor; and the hundreds of websites and blogs that feature anything and everything about design. Now you can see new projects built at the opposite side of the globe, explore products newly developed, and read real-time news about the developments in the industry. Exploring the options that technology offers and experimenting with international design trends are just clicks away. How convenient!

At this day and age, it’s sad to see designs that are backward in technology and aesthetics. In our very domain, there are still many buildings and spaces that fall short of any sophistication or good aesthetic judgment.  Moving forward as a people also means raising the bar for what is acceptable, design-wise.  We have to stop making our third-world status a convenient excuse for mediocrity in aesthetics.

As a creative people (have we not proven that to ourselves time and again?), wouldn’t it be great to throw ourselves into the limelight of internationally acclaimed design? Isn’t it time we made sure that no foreign guest could tell us that we have such ugly buildings? Sadly, I’ve been told that a few times. And heaven help us, for it only takes one look at what structures are coming up in the city to realize that we have to open our eyes wider and be harder on ourselves when it comes to our acceptance of the built environment.

Lucky are the young ones who love architecture and interior design for all the information they need is so accessible!  Let’s move out of our comfort zone.

When my wanderlust kicks in but my schedule won’t allow me to leave, I instead travel through cyberspace. I invite you to explore a few of my favorite sites:

www.modernpalette.com A shopping site it is. A furniture store! I enjoy  browsing through their catalogues, getting inspiration from the new pieces. Fortunately, most of their brands and products are accessible not exclusively through their portal, but through local Philippine distributors as well.

www.archpick.com  This site showcases predominantly modern architectural designs and some modern interiors as well. It also has a feature video of the moment, usually a digitized walk through of a project concept.

www.furniturefashion.com  This site features every interior element from furniture pieces, to doors, to décor, to hardware. What I like about this site is that their products always come with write-ups, so you understand fully the features and what the items are really about.

www.youtube.com  Yes! Everybody’s favorite video-sharing service does have quite a library of design projects. Most of what you’ll find are luxury homes for sale, or videos on concept projects that have yet to be built. A good place to advertise or share your work too!

www.ted.com  Features talks, lectures or workshops on different subjects. The site has a tab for design, and features everything from printers to organic homes to a Darwinian theory of beauty. For people who are less visual, more auditory and more philosophical and esoteric in their thinking, well, this site’s for you.

www.worldarchitecturenews.com  This is a comprehensive architectural site that showcases international design projects—both architecture and interiors. It provides information on international projects going out to bid or tender, advertises job openings from all over the world (yes, from Beijing to Budapest), recognizes  exceptional design work through its WAN awards, and features podcasts of various subjects stretching from design philosophies to payment swindling issues.

www.apartmenttherapy.com  This is a site that believes that “a calm, healthy, beautiful home is a necessary foundation for happiness and success in the world.” I believe that too, and see that they live up to it. The site is an interior decoration portal that has before and after photos of makeovers, features on new products and tours of actual homes. I come to this site to look at the accessories and colors. They do have quite a diverse palette, modern yet playful and warm.

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